Tie it on
By Zac Sexton Argonaut Staff
Photo by Zac Sexton
The finished Egg Sucking Leech in the jaws of a fly tying vice.
Steelhead throughout the world will bite an Egg Sucking Leech. Though the materials may vary, anglers that fish for steelhead will have some form of the Egg Sucking Leech in their fly box. By changing the size and bulk of this pattern one can catch steelhead in a variety of fishing conditions. Below is a listing of materials or "dressing" needed to tie the Egg Sucking Leech.
HOOK: salmon/steelhead, sizes two through eight
THREAD: red or orange 6/0
TAIL: two purple turkey marabou feathers and four to five strands
of crystal holographic flashabout
RIB: medium gold or copper wire
BODY: medium black chenille
HACKLE: purple strung Chinese saddle
EGG MASS: hot orange or pink cactus chenille, large
These are the steps required to tie the Egg Sucking Leach:
1) Use pliers or forceps to pinch barb on hook. (Regulations
require the use of a pinched or barb-less hook while fishing
during the catch and release season). Start thread and work back
to a point between the hook point and barb. Tie in two strands
of purple marabou. Be sure to wet fingers and dampen the marabou.
This process enables easier handling. Secure marabou along the
hook shank, allowing room for egg mass and thread head, about
three-quarters of the hook length. Secure and clip excess.
2) Tie in flashabou on far side of hook shank. Work flashabou
over to the near side and secure. Clip flashabou to the length
of the marabou.
3) Tie in wire on near side of hook shank. Strip fuzzy material
off the end of chenille to be tied in. This makes it easier to
neatly form the body. Tie in chenille on near side of shank.
Wrap chenille forward forming a cigar-shaped body. Secure and
clip excess chenille.
4) Strip a short section of the base of hackle, about one-quarter
of an inch. Tie in base of hackle just in front of chenille body
with the shiny side facing out. Wrap two turns at tie-in point.
Palmer the hackle back to base of tail, about five to six turns.
Wrap gold wire forward to secure hackle. Be sure to work the
wire through the hackle fibers so the fibers are not trapped
against the body. Secure wire at the hackle tie-in point. To
break the wire,twist wire in a motion similar to the hands of
a clock.
5) Tie in chenille. Wrap forward being sure to stroke fibers
of chenille back before each turn. Leave room for the thread
head. Secure chenille and clip excess.
6) Build a tapered head, whip-finish and clip thread. cement
head.
This pattern is effective on cloudy and/or windy days. Fish tend
to be less spooky in these conditions and will hit a larger bulkier
fly. When the sun is shining and the wind is calm, an angler
will need a smaller, less obtrusive fly. Following the steps
above and using the dressing below, a fly tier will have just
such a fly.
HOOK: salmon/steelhead, sizes six through 10
THREAD: red or orange 6/0
TAIL: one purple turkey marabou feather and three to four strands
of crystal holographic flashabou
RIB: medium gold or copper wire
BODY: black four-strand floss or small black chenille
HACKLE: purple strung Chinese saddle
EGG MASS: orange or pink cactus chenille, small
Adjust proportions to allow for the slimmer body. Use a smaller hackle to produce less of a silhouette. Un-weighted, this fly will ride just below the surface of the water, just where early season steelhead are found. As the water cools an angler should weight the fly by using lead wire or adding a bead to the fly. Split-shot can be added to the line to get the fly deeper. Be careful not to hit your rod with the extra weight.
Next time an angler is on the Snake or Clearwater rivers watching
steelhead roll at the surface, that angler would be wise to tie
on an Egg Sucking Leach and present it to the fish. Once a steelhead
is hooked, the memory of the fight will stick in an angler's
mind forever. Knowing the angler caught a steelhead on a fly
tied with the their own hands makes the moment worthwhile.
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